Kirby Smart reveals what he needs to see in order to play freshmen early

Georgia is coming off arguably the most impressive win of the Kirby Smart era. A month into the season, the Bulldogs and Alabama are the only two undefeated teams left standing in the SEC. That stat will be put to the test this weekend, as Georgia travels to Neyland Stadium to take on a limping Tennessee team.

Smart was among the first coaches to speak during the SEC’s weekly Coaches Teleconference.

Here’s a summary of what Smart had to say on the call:

• “We are excited for our SEC road opener in Knoxville. Great tradition in this rivalry and many of our guys have never been up there.”
• Can you comment on RB D’Andre Swift and his role in the program? “He could be a 15-18 carry guy right now if we needed that, but we don’t right now. Takes to pass blocking. He’s very mature for his age. He’s helped on special teams, he’s taken advantage of the opportunities he’s been given.”
• What do you look for in freshmen? “Can they carry things from the meeting room to the practice field? Some young players have eight mistakes before he learns. Can they take what you give them in the meeting room and the field? Maturity factor is big.”
• Was the talent there when you took over at UGA? “In some places, especially on defense. We needed to get bigger in many areas. To play vs. the spread you have to have depth.”
• What impresses you about Tennessee? “How hard they play. They have the toughest blocking WRs I’ve seen and the special teams units are always fantastic.”
• Could Jacob Eason play this week? He’s improving, he did a nice job Tuesday. He’s improving day to day. We hope he is ready to go.
• What made you like Jake Fromm in recruiting? “His character, he’s an outstanding kid. He’s fiery, you can tell when you get a guy on a visit, do they pay attention or are they on their phones. He was always trying to figure out what was going on.”
• How big of a priority was he in recruiting? “He was a big priority. He was in-state, grew up a Georgia fan. It’s a priority whenever someone is a talented as he is.”
• Road experience at Notre Dame help this week? “Well, there’s no way to simulate that experience. We had so many fans at Notre Dame.”
• What the Tennessee-Georgia series meant for you as a player at UGA? “Same thing it means now, it often determines the East winner. Many guys from each state play in the game, recruited by both schools.”

Michael Wayne Bratton

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com